CPN (Maoist) Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called the Supreme Court (SC) verdict that invalidated his party's unification with CPN-UML unnatural.
"The SC had given verdict on a subject that was not demanded. The SC cannot demolish internal unity of parties. Such verdicts have been reviewed even before," Dahal told reporters after applying for review of the verdict. "I hope this verdict will also be corrected."
Dahal reached the Apex Court with Maoist leaders including Barsha Man Pun, Janardan Sharma, Haribol Gajurel, Giriraj Mani Pokharel and others Tuesday.
The joint bench of Justices Bam Kumar Shrestha and Kumar Regmi on March 7 had invalidated the unification of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist) Center reinstating the two parties to their status on the day of unification while ruling in the dispute about the name of party formed after unification of UML and Maoist Center.
Rishiram Kattel had moved the SC arguing that the party formed after unification of UML and Maoist Center cannot be called Communist Party of Nepal as the party is registered with the Election Commission in his name.
The SC ruled that Communist Party of Nepal belongs to Rishiram Kattel but went further and invalidated the unification of the two parties.
The name Communist Party of Nepal, that UML and the Maoists chose after unification, was found already registered with the Election Commission. The Election Commission had then registered the unified ruling party as Communist Party of Nepal (CPN).
Kattel had first complained with the Election Commission and then moved the SC in December 2018 against the decision.
The Communist Party of Nepal registered with Kattel as chairman had even contested the last general election with hammer and spade as the election symbol. The party had also contested the last local election before the general election.
The name has been registered with the Election Commission for three decades.
The group of erstwhile Maoists led by Netra Bikram Chand also uses the name for its party.
Clause 6(e) of the Act about political parties prohibits registration of any party with the Election Commission if the name or election symbol matches with a party already registered with the Election Commission.
